Colin Jackson outs himself on Swedish TV

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BBC sports presenter and former Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson has come out as gay.

The athlete has starred in a Swedish documentary called Rainbow Heroes, which will air on SVT. He has spoken openly about his sexuality, according to reports.

The 50-year-old was speaking to Swedish LGBT former athletes – high-jumper Kajsa Bergqvist and long-jumper Peter Häggström. He explained that he had not ‘come out’ earlier because he didn’t want his sexuality ‘sensationalised’.

Jackson had previously denied being gay after a ‘Kiss and tell’ article had been published in a newspaper.

The Olympic medallist also recalled the day when he had to tell his parents about his sexuality. This was after the ‘Kiss and tell’ story had come to light from an ex-partner. Jackson recalls, “I was waiting for them in the kitchen. They walked in and they sat down. My mother could see my face and I was quite distraught. It didn’t faze them at all.”

He recalls his mum’s reaction, “My mum went: ‘First of all, is the story true?’

“And I said so it’s true, so it’s not like I can deny it. And then she went: ‘Well, why are people so disgraceful?’ I just realised, I’ve got the best parents.”

Colin Jackson did an article with the Voice newspaper in 2008 about the stigma around gay athletes. Where he went on to say, “It’s the 21st century. I don’t think anybody thinks about that any more. There might have been a stigma in years gone by.”

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